The Happiness Advantage

If you haven’t seen Shawn Achor’s TED talk, you really ought to take 15 minutes and check it out. This is especially true if it’s Monday morning and you’ve just begun to dread the work week ahead. To sum things up, Shawn purports that we’ve been thinking about success backward. We in the Western World tend to think that if we are successful, then we will be happy. Shawn’s premise, full of supporting researching, is that if we are happy, then we will be successful.

http://www.ted.com/talks/shawn_achor_the_happy_secret_to_better_work.html

I chose to do this just a few weeks ago. And yes, it happened to be a Monday morning. What’s happened to me has been explosive. I began to do some research and found that Shawn Achor has done a great deal of legitimate work with CEOs and executives around the world. His research was done as a proctor and lecturer at Harvard. Most importantly to me, his approach makes the changes a personal responsibility.

Without a second glance, I quickly ordered Achor’s first book, The Happiness Advantage. If utilized, this set of principals can “easily” help change the profitability of company I work for. My theory- due to recent experience- is that happy employees are more engaged and productive (When researching, I quickly found that I wasn’t the first to think this. As a matter of fact, Shawn wasn’t even the first. But he wrote a book.) Although there’s an element of “do-ability” that needs to be custom fit for the workplace I’m involved in, this is possible.

The Happiness Advantage, by Shawn Achor

Published by Random House, 2010

I.                    Part 1:Positive Psychology at Work

a.       Introduction- If success drives happiness, then every employee who has received a raise or bonus ought to be happy. However, we find that this level of happiness is short-lived. Research in positive psychology and neuroscience shows us that happiness actually drives success; cultivating positive brains fuels this competitive edge that Shawn calls The Happiness Advantage. 

b.      Discovering the Happiness Advantage

c.       The Happiness Advantage at Work

d.      Change is Possible

II.                 Part 2: Seven Principles

a.       Principle #1: The Happiness Advantage- Positive brains have a biological advantage over neutral or negative brains; we can retrain our brains positively to increase productivity and performance.

b.      Principle #2: The Fulcrum and The Lever- We can adjust our mindset in a way that gives us the power to be more fulfilled and successful.

c.       Principle #3: The Tetris Effect- We can retrain our brains to focus on patterns of possibility rather than stress and negativity

d.      Principle #4: Falling Up- In times of stress and crisis, our brains map different paths to cope. Learning to choose a path that leads us not only up and out but teaches us to be happier as a result is possible.

e.       Principle #5: The Zorro Circle- When overwhelmed, we become hijacked by emotion. To regain control, learn to focus on small, manageable goals slowly expanding the circle.

f.        Principle #6: The 20-Second Rule- Creating new habits can be challenging. By taking small, incremental steps we can replace bad habits with good.

g.       Principle #7: Social Investment- One of the greatest predictors of success and achievement is our social support network.

III.               Part 3: The Ripple Effect

Spreading The Happiness Advantage at work, at home and beyond- Although the only person we can change is ourselves, making positive changes affects everyone around us.

One of the beautiful things about the seven principals is that they are not incremental; they need not be followed in order. Nor do all seven need to be in place to impact change. It’s been my experience, both personal and in behavior that I’ve observed that even that smallest, positive thought can trigger another positive thought, and so on. Is this one way to impact change in the world? Maybe. 

Moving Through Loneliness To Get To Alone

Weekends tend to be the roughest. While I love my time on my own- time to meditate, to reflect, to create, to just be- I’ve found that I miss a certain human interaction… hugs in particular. There’s a formula out there that ascertains the need for four hugs a day to survive, 8 hugs to thrive and 10 or more to….[I’m not sure]. The bottom line is that I’m malnourished in the hug department. Don’t get me wrong, I do what I can, short of stopping random strangers at the grocery store. I hug my yoga friends, and sometimes my co-workers (though they’re getting a bit skeptical). I’ve made some church acquaintances that accept my physicality. But what’s one to do when she has a lack of huggable folks in her midst? 

I recently spent four glorious days with all four of my offspring. It was a hug-fest! I filled up that nearly empty hug well, yet have found an interesting phenomenon~ I still want more!  Perhaps the word “want” is a part of the challenge. Determining the difference between “wants” and “needs” takes me back to the kindergarten curriculum of Junior Achievement that I taught a few years ago. We’ll probably all agree that while we may want new things, ie. “toys”, we don’t necessarily need them. Yet we do need basics such as food, shelter, clothing. And yes, affection. 

But does that affection need to come from others? Consider the Dali Lama or the Pope- do they walk around offering up hugs? I don’t think so, unless this is done outside of the public eye. We see hand shaking, shoulder squeezing, but I can’t recall seeing either of these relics busting out with a tight chest-to-chest grip. Perhaps that necessary affection might partially come from within. 

It seems that this would be a good thing to learn; not so oddly, we’ve heard it time and time again- love thyself. Over the past few months on my own here in Haslett, I’ve been learning how to be my own best friend. Being a good friend involves the little things- exercising and feeding myself well, while allowing the occasional treat; allowing myself space when necessary, but taking myself out into public when I need some socialization. At least once each weekend I allow myself the choice of a freeform day- there may be things to accomplish, but the order is not important. Perhaps one of the toughest parts about being my own best friend is being honest with me. I count on my journal for that- that’s my safe place to put down hopes, dreams, hurts and accomplishments; large and small. I bounce some of those private pieces off of other best friends- those whose feedback I trust and may even accept. Admitting when a part of my life isn’t working isn’t easy, but always necessary to moving forward. This is tough self-love.

Interestingly, I looked around the yoga studio the other morning before class and had the most freeing revelation. There was a myriad of folks practicing- young, old, male, female, body types of all sizes. I felt no need to compare, in fact I was in awe of the beauty of each form. Then I looked in the mirror and gave thanks to myself for taking me to yoga and to my body for the amazing things that it’s done and continues to do. Such an amazing tool I’ve been given to walk through this life; I gladly take care of this gift the best that I can. 

When these thoughts come to me, I know I’m getting somewhere in the self-love department. Let’s call them “hugs from within”.